Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1281593
maltatoday | SUNDAY • 23 AUGUST 2020 12 COMMERCIAL Coca-Cola in Malta launches first new campaign since lockdown: "Open Like Never Before" COCA-COLA in Malta has launched it's new campaign, Open Like Never Before, it's first since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Open Like Never Before, cre- ated and developed by 72and- Sunny Amsterdam, marks a time of cultural and social change. It begins with a manifesto written specifically for Co- ca-Cola by award-winning spo- ken word artist, George The Poet. That manifesto is founded in the promise of new pos- sibilities discovered through lockdown and calls on us all to be "open, like never before" and to appreciate all that we have around us. The words of George encourage us to be "open to change", to appreciate things from a new perspective and to find opportunities in this 'new normal'. "Open Like Never Before" is founded in the belief that we do not have to go 'back' to nor- mal. Instead, we can all move forward and make the world not just different, but better. It supports and celebrates our retail partners too, including local hotels, cafes and restau- rants, many of whom will be re- opening their doors to commu- nities after a very challenging time for the industry, but who have always been at the heart of our social fabric," Public Affairs and Communication Manager for GSD Marketing, Stephen Bonnici said. The manifesto launch will be followed by a sustained pro- gramme of in-market activities throughout the year into 2021. Many of these will focus on supporting local hotels, cafes and restaurants who are the lifeblood of local communities and are now reopening their doors. Coca-Cola temporarily sus- pended all planned marketing activity in April, redirecting re- sources towards communities and supporting its most affect- ed retail partners. Alongside its bottling partners and The Co- ca-Cola Foundation, the com- pany pledged to donate more than $100m globally to organ- isations leading local relief ef- forts. In Malta, the Coca-Cola system supported the Minis- try of Health by donating over 9,000 masks and also support- ed in kind the Food Aid project and health workers working in testing centres. HSBC Foundation donates €5,000 to St Jeanne Antide Foundation HSBC Malta Foundation has donated €5,000 to the St Jeanne Antide Foundation (SJAF) in or- der to help the NGO cover some of the costs and the shortfall in funding which occured as a re- sult of the COVID-19 crisis. The Foundation has now reopened its service sites and is once again offering direct support to vul- nerable families. These services were being offered remotely dur- ing the height of the pandemic. Caroline Buhagiar Klass, Head of Human Resources and Corporate Sustainability at HSBC Malta, said: "The HSBC Malta Foundation is support- ing the St Jeanne Antide Foun- dation because we recognise the Foundation's essential role in providing support to fami- lies dealing with poverty and social exclusion. Thanks also to our support, the fantastic staff and volun- teers at the Foundation con- tinued to reach out and offer support to 511 individuals from 273 vulnerable families throughout the Covid-19 cri- sis." Nora Macelli, CEO at the St Jeanne Antide Foundation, said: "The HSBC Malta Fon- dation's donation is a lifesaver for many vulnerable families we support, many of whom are doing their utmost to return to work after caring for a men- tally ill relative, dealing with domestic violence or dealing with new challenges in areas like childcare and housing cre- ated by the pandemic, while at the same time struggling with financial difficulties. I cannot thank our staff and volunteers enough for their commitment to working collaboratively and with passion for the wellbeing of those who are struggling. We also thank all those people and organisations, like HSBC, who continue to support our work." The SJAF is a registered social purpose non-profit organisa- tion. It is the social care servic- es arm of the Sisters of Charity of St Jeanne Antide Thouret. Its overarching aim is to provide professional support services to very vulnerable in- dividuals and families who are suffering due to challenging life circumstances and those who are sliding into poverty and are socially excluded. Between 13 March 2020, when SJAF start- ed operating remotely, and the end of June, the Foundation accepted 158 new cases of fam- ilies in difficulty. Additionally, between its practitioners, it continued to support around 215 other families referred be- fore that. For more information about St Jeanne Antide Foundation's services, please visit their web- site on https://www.antide- malta.org/, or else visit their FaceBook page on https://www. facebook.com/SjafAntideCen- tre/